This invention relates to a portable electronic device used as an auxiliary storage device such as a memory card inserted into the master unit of information equipment, as well as an entertainment system such as a video game station having a function for storing game data or the like in an auxiliary storage device.
A portable electronic device or slave serving as an auxiliary storage device such as a conventional memory card used upon being inserted into the master of information equipment such as a video game machine is equipped with an interface for making a connection to the console (master) of the information equipment and a non-volatile storage element for storing data.
FIG. 26(a) illustrates an example of the arrangement of the principal components of a memory card, which is an example of such a portable electronic device according to the prior art. A memory card according to the prior art has control means 11 for controlling the operation of the memory card, a connector 12 for making a connection to a terminal provided in a slot of information equipment or the like, and a non-volatile memory 16 for storing data. The connector 12 and the non-volatile memory 16 are connected to the control means 11.
The control means 11 is constituted by a microcomputer, by way of example. A flash memory such as an EEPROM, for example, is used as the non-volatile memory 16. There are also instances where the interface for the connection to the information equipment or the like employs a microcomputer as control means for interpreting protocols.
FIG. 26(b) illustrates the items controlled by the control means 11 of the conventional memory card 10.
As illustrated, the memory card merely has a console connection interface for connection to the console of the information equipment or the like, and a memory interface for input and output of data to and from the non-volatile memory.
Further, the conventional video game station such as a TV game station for home use has a function for storing game data and the like in an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned video card is used also as an auxiliary storage device of such a video game station.
FIG. 27 illustrates an example of a conventional video game station that uses a memory card as an auxiliary storage device. This conventional video game station 1 has a console 2 accommodated within a substantially quadrangular case and is constituted by a centrally provided disk mounting unit 3 in which is mounted an optical disk serving as a recording medium on which the application program of a video game has been recorded, a reset switch 4 for resetting the game at will, a power-supply switch 5, a disk operating switch 6 manipulated for mounting the optical disk, and two slots 7A and 7B, by way of example.
The memory card 10 used as an auxiliary storage device is inserted into the slots 7A, 7B so that the results of a game, for example, that has been run on the video game station 1, are sent from control means (CPU) 19 and written to the non-volatile memory 16. An arrangement may also be adopted in which a plurality of control devices (controllers) (not shown) are connected to the slots 7A, 7B, thereby enabling a plurality of users to play competitive games against one another at the same time.
More specifically, between a master and a slave, as shown in FIG. 28, data from the master is analyzed on the side of the slave in response to a read-out request from the master. The results of analysis are sent to the master as data for the master and this data is treated as read-out data on the master side.
Consideration has been given to providing a slave, which is connected utilizing the memory-card slot of a video game station or the like serving as the master, not only with the storage function of an auxiliary storage device but also with a function for executing programs such as games. Such a slave can also be used as a portable electronic device as is, and by making it easy to communicate with other equipment, a wider range of applications can be achieved. This in turn can stimulate new demand.
The present invention, which has been devised in view of these circumstances, has as its object to provide a portable electronic device and an entertainment system, wherein the portable electronic device is capable of being connected to a master, can be used even as a stand-alone slave and that readily communicates with other items of equipment.
A portable electronic device according to the present invention is equipped with an interface for making a connection to a master having a program executing function, the portable electronic device comprising program storage means for storing a program, control means for controlling execution of the program, and storage means for storing event occurrence, wherein an event that has been stored in the storage means is transferred to the master in response to a request from the master.
Further, a portable electronic device according to the present invention is equipped with an interface for making a connection to a master having a program executing function, the portable electronic device comprising program storage means for storing a program, control means for controlling execution of the program, and conversion means for converting an address of the program, which has been stored in the program storage means, with respect to the control means, wherein the control means directly executes the program, whose address has been converted by the conversion means, stored in the program storage means.
Furthermore, a portable electronic device according to the present invention comprises an information processor capable of executing program data, storage means for storing program data that has been downloaded, address conversion means for acquiring position information of the program data in the storage means and, when the storage means has been accessed from the information processor, for addressing the storage means based upon pertinent access information, operating-information input means for inputting operating information to the information processor, and output means for outputting images and audio which the information processor has produced based upon at least the operating information input via the operating-information input means.
An entertainment system according to the present invention comprises a master having a program executing function and a slave equipped with an interface for making a connection to the master, wherein the master has control means for transferring information accompanying execution of the program to the slave and for reading in information from the slave, and the slave has program storage means for storing a program, control means for controlling execution of the program, and storage means for storing event occurrence, wherein an event that has been stored in said storage means is transferred to said master in response to a request from said master.
An entertainment system according to the present invention comprises a master having a program executing function and a slave equipped with an interface for making a connection to the master, wherein the master has control means for transferring information accompanying execution of the program to the slave and for reading in information from the slave, and the slave has program storage means for storing a program, control means for controlling execution of the program, and conversion means for converting an address of the program, which has been stored in the program storage means, with respect to the control means, wherein the control means directly executes the program, whose address has been converted by the conversion means, stored in the program storage means.
Thus, the present invention is such that when an event occurs in an internal device, the occurrence of the event is stored and then the event occurrence is communicated to the master in response to a request from the master. As a result, the origin of an operation is not only the master but can also be an internal device. In the present invention, therefore, the degree of freedom of slave operation is enhanced in relation to the master.
Further, the present invention can be executed directly without rearranging programs in memory. As a result, time required for rearrangement is eliminated in the present invention, thereby making it possible to execute processing at high speed.